CHAPTER 1 . 



METHOD OF ANALYZING THE BLOOD.^ 



The blood is a highly complex fluid, and, in investigations upon cold-blooded 

 animals, it is impossible, in most instances, to determine all, or even a majority 

 of its constituents, owing to the small amount (often not more than 100 grains) 

 which can, even with the greatest care, be obtained from each individual. 



As little or nothing has been done in the study of the fluids of these animals, it 

 was necessary first to determine the most important constituents. The following 

 is a brief statement of the method which I employ to determine the 



Water, Liquor Sanguinis. 



Solid Constituents of Blood. Solid Constituents of Liquor Sanguinis. 



Solid Constituents of Serum. Water of Liquor Sanguinis. 



Moist Blood-corpuscles. Albumen and Extractive Matters. 



Solid Constituents of Moist Blood-cor- Fibrin. 



puscles. Fixed Saline Constituents. 



Water of Moist Blood-corpuscles. 



(a.) Receive into a porcelain capsule, capable of containing about fsss (the weight 

 of which had been previously carefully ascertained and noted), from twenty- 

 five to fifty grains of blood. 

 (5.) Fill a 100 grain sp. gr. bottle with blood, if the animal be large enough to 



yield several hundred grains of blood, 

 (c.) Receive the remainder of the blood into a porcelain capsule (weight previously 

 ascertained) capable of containing about 500 grains of blood. 

 In the majority of reptiles and small birds and mammals, the blood will have 

 been exhausted after the filling of the last vessel. 



Treatment of the Portion (a). 



Carefully ascertain the weight of the capsule with its blood, with a delicate 

 balance, and subtracting from this the weight of the capsule, we have remaining 

 the weight of the blood. 



^ The character of the Smithsonian Contributions does not permit of an extended discussion of the 

 various methods of analysis employed by different physiological chemists. Those who wish to investi- 

 gate this subject for themselves, will find much useful information in Simon's Chemistry of Man, p. 142, 

 Philadelphia, 1846; Lehmann's Physiological Chemistry, translated by Gr. E. Day, and edited by Prof. 

 K Rogers, Vol. I, pp. 541-648, Philadelphia, 1855; Bowman's Medical Chemistry, pp. 145-194, 

 Philadelphia, 1850. 

 1 



